FishmanPut your goddamned hand in the goddamned Box of Pain.Registered Userregular
I would tell you about my flooding experience, but honestly, I'm still having trouble believing it.
The city had twice the normal monthly rainfall in a 24 hour period. I'm convinced the majority of it fell in my suburb.
A number of suburbs around the city were affected. The usual suspects; river plains, coastal areas, lowlands. And for some reason, the hill valley I live in.
Yesterday I had 4 inches of water in my backyard just from how much rain was falling out of the sky trying to get around the side of my house. And I'm up on the hill. Down in the dip, people were being swept over in waist deep water.
That's unbelievably cool. Your new name is cool guy. Let's have sex.
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The Black HunterThe key is a minimum of compromise, and a simple,unimpeachable reason to existRegistered Userregular
My parents live on a hill, but were in the drain path of the water that fell higher up. Me and my dad had to dig a 10 m emergency ditch a couple years back because of it. You could have been in the same situation
I am so, so, so confused by this whole paid parental leave debacle.
You don't call someone who claims on both Medicare and Private Health Insurance a "double dipper" - i.e., for my knee surgery, Medicare covered a chunk, Medibank covered another chunk, and I paid the remaining gap. The system works there, yeah? No one would call me a double dipper for that?
So why are mothers who are using negotiated PPL schemes with their employers to supplement the government's PPL scheme getting called "double dippers?"
Am I missing something here? This is awfully confusing.
Eligible employees who are the primary carer of a newborn or adopted child get 18 weeks' leave paid at the national minimum wage.
These payments are made to the employer first, who then pays them to the employee. These payments can be paid before, after or at the same time as other entitlements such as annual leave and long service leave.
Paid parental leave from the Australian Government doesn't affect or replace paid parental leave from an employer – an employee can be paid both.
These payments do not affect or replace unpaid parental leave.
Employers can provide for paid parental leave in registered agreements, employment contracts and workplace policies. The amount of leave and pay entitlements depends on the relevant registered agreement, contract or policy.
Employer-funded paid parental leave doesn't affect an employee's eligibility for the Australian Government's Paid Parental Leave scheme. An employee can be paid both.
Employees collecting the government scheme and an arranged payment from their employees is explicitly stated in the government act to be the intention. It's not an unintended consequence or a trick or a scam, it's the written intentions of the law.
The Abbott government is changing this to be the opposite of your take. Instead of the Employee schemes supplementing the government schemes, the Abbott government idea is that the government scheme is taken from being a broadly available base that employers can build on to merely a supplemental payment to top off employer's schemes in cases where they are less than $11,500 (18 weeks of minimum wage). The government schemes take any less than that up to that level. It's completely contrary to the spirit and intention of the original PPL and an olympic gold medal worthy backflip to their original PPL policy.
It has been weird because it hasn't been stormy or windy, just a constant rain of water from the sky. I keep thinking it's not that bad and then looking at our overflowing creek in surprise.
But the big question is 'why?' Just, what is even the point?
Gvzbgul on
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FishmanPut your goddamned hand in the goddamned Box of Pain.Registered Userregular
The Union Jack is almost certainly on the way out. The Southern cross we'll probably end up keeping, judging by most submissions. And we'll probably work in some kind of fern or koru in somehow.
There are more than a few decent designs floating around out there in the wild. However, having vague memories of the Australian National Anthem referendum and the outcome there, I retain a healthy dose of scepticism towards the potential final result.
I like kids' designs because they're crazy but they make sense. Like, why wouldn't you have a picture of your house (home) on your flag? Also, they're going to be the ones who have to look at the new flag the longest, so they should get a say.
I quite like the union jack flag with the southern cross, although the time for it has long gone.
I don't know why they have used so much black, blue and green. I don't think those colours work, but they probably were just making do while one student hogged the red pen.
I like kids' designs because they're crazy but they make sense. Like, why wouldn't you have a picture of your house (home) on your flag? Also, they're going to be the ones who have to look at the new flag the longest, so they should get a say.
I quite like the union jack flag with the southern cross, although the time for it has long gone.
I don't know why they have used so much black, blue and green. I don't think those colours work, but they probably were just making do while one student hogged the red pen.
Black is likely a carryover from Sports and the silver fern flag, the blue is a common thread because as an island nation NZ is surrounded on all sides by blue above and below, stretching forever into the horizon. Green because my goodness what a beautiful and lush country...
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lonelyahavaCall me Ahava ~~She/Her~~Move to New ZealandRegistered Userregular
Black and Green are also colors that reflect the Maori heritage. I think? I know the Maori flag is black and red and white.
Blue is the ocean, green is the forest, and black is the people?
But the big question is 'why?' Just, what is even the point?
Because colonization is a pretty shit memory for plenty of people. And while it does acknowledge how some colonies have gotten to where they are, it's a bit shit that some people look at it and remember (or still are) being treated like non-people.
It's a bit like how our nation's 'birthday' here in Australia is just the date that whitey turned up and raised the Union Jack. It's ignorant of any other cultural impact outside the British one and it's shit.
How many of you are descended from pretty early settlers there? In America, it's weird because many of us are descendents of immigrants who arrived long after the country was founded.
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The Black HunterThe key is a minimum of compromise, and a simple,unimpeachable reason to existRegistered Userregular
I'm not, everyone in my family came here within the century
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AJRSome guy who wrestlesNorwichRegistered Userregular
Australia has always been a country with high immigration. It's pretty telling that 2 out of the 3 most recent Prime Ministers were born overseas.
Australia has always been a country with high immigration. It's pretty telling that 2 out of the 3 most recent Prime Ministers were born overseas.
Interesting, thanks! It seems weird that "Australian identity" is a thing then.
We're SUCH a young country (1901 is the year we were federated), it's like we have some sort of inferiority complex and desperately want to prove how cool we are. Unfortunately it seems that the majority of the people doing all the yelling about our "culture" are homophobic, xenophobic, classist arseholes.
There is a certain Australian-ness to having all your mates over on a Saturday and firing up the barbecue, but then that's a popular past-time in HEAPS of countries. One thing I like to do if I am living in a house with a verandah and tin roof is sit outside under the verandah drinking hot chocolate during a rainstorm. I dunno for sure if that is a particularly Australian thing to do either, as my British father introduced me to it when I was a wee young lad.
Australia has always been a country with high immigration. It's pretty telling that 2 out of the 3 most recent Prime Ministers were born overseas.
Interesting, thanks! It seems weird that "Australian identity" is a thing then.
No weirder than an American identify.
I don't know most of my family history back before the early 20th century. I don't know when most of my ancestors arrived here, I don't know where most of them were from except what we can guess from surnames, and I don't have any real connection to any other country except Australia. What other identity would I have?
Like most 'frontier' colonies, a strong sense of community and cohesion was crucial in the early years of settlement, and the 19th century is usually considered to be the time when a national identity was really forged, although in many ways it's still on-going. It's a complex topic and there's a lot of back and forth. From the 70s/80s onwards the left has pulled towards an Australia defined by a multi-cultural mix of ethnicities and traditions, while the (non-loony) right has usually yearned to be considered part of mother England. But that's an argument of definition (with the associated cultural baggage); from a personal perspective everyone I know who was born in Aus - and many who weren't - consider themselves Australian first and foremost, although what this means to them personally no doubt differs.
Australia has always been a country with high immigration. It's pretty telling that 2 out of the 3 most recent Prime Ministers were born overseas.
Interesting, thanks! It seems weird that "Australian identity" is a thing then.
Tribalism is pretty much everywhere. It just makes slightly less sense here
I think Australian nationalism is pretty bonkers - most nationalism is mental, but from a nation of immigrants it's complete nonsense. I distinguish nationalism from identification, though. I identify as Australian because that is my homeland and I don't know how else to categorize myself geographically or culturally.
Australia has always been a country with high immigration. It's pretty telling that 2 out of the 3 most recent Prime Ministers were born overseas.
Interesting, thanks! It seems weird that "Australian identity" is a thing then.
I dunno, I feel it's just more (and I'm taking about the non racist sector here) that a lot of people here are just comfortable to just be Australian, where as in America they are often *somewhere*-American. I mean knowing my surname and knowing my dad is from new Zealand I still am just happy to be Australian. There is a lot less emphasis on family tree here, which has its advantages and disadvantages.
@tynic Yeah I don't think "American identity" makes any sense either though. I understand in European countries where there is relatively little immigration and the countries have been around for so long.
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KincaidYou're standing on my neckKuwaitRegistered Userregular
Australian Identity is an odd beast for me. I like the people (as individuals) but I do take a quiet joy in never, ever, being picked as an Australian whenever I'm overseas. Cultural cringe, perhaps? I think I just don't like being associated with the more distasteful elements of the Australian stereotype.
@tynic Yeah I don't think "American identity" makes any sense either though. I understand in European countries where there is relatively little immigration and the countries have been around for so long.
What do you consider yourself, then.
edit: in Europe I find it more toxic, because the very lack of immigration means national identity becomes tied to weird notions of racial purity, or at least trying to determine who has the right to call themselves 'from' country X, which can rapidly become xenophobic and horrible. I have friends who are three generations German who are not considered German by anyone around them, because they have a Turkish background.
@tynic Yeah I don't think "American identity" makes any sense either though. I understand in European countries where there is relatively little immigration and the countries have been around for so long.
What do you consider yourself, then.
edit: in Europe I find it more toxic, because the very lack of immigration means national identity becomes tied to weird notions of racial purity, or at least trying to determine who has the right to call themselves 'from' country X, which can rapidly become xenophobic and horrible. I have friends who are three generations German who are not considered German by anyone around them, because they have a Turkish background.
That's a good question; I don't know, really. I'm an American citizen, but like Blake said, if people identify as anything here, it's by their ancestry. My family comes from a random mix of European countries, so I don't have a strong attachment to any one of those.
Outside the US? definitely.
I'd say it's considered weird here the way Americans cling to an old-world notion of their background even if they're several generations removed from having lived anywhere else. But it never occurred to me that you guys simply didn't consider 'American' to be part of your identity, which explains a lot!
Outside the US? definitely.
I'd say it's considered weird here the way Americans cling to an old-world notion of their background even if they're several generations removed from having lived anywhere else. But it never occurred to me that you guys simply didn't consider 'American' to be part of your identity, which explains a lot!
Like "my great-great-great-grandfather was Irish, so I'm Irish!" - nah not really buddy, you're born and bred Texan. Or Pennsylvania Dutch, that was hundreds of years ago, you're about as Dutch as an Afrikaner, which is to say not very fucking Dutch at all.
My family was in NZ before the treaty was signed. By less than a year, and it wasn't really a family yet, just one guy who decided to quit being a sailor.
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lonelyahavaCall me Ahava ~~She/Her~~Move to New ZealandRegistered Userregular
but see for me, one of the big factors of my family heritage is that we were, for all intents and purposes, Russian Jews. It's not so much the Russian part of that which makes up my personal idea of my identity. But that they were specifically Russian Jews. Which brings a completely different dynamic, both tradition wise, religion wise, and even genetically into my life.
I get that most people don't 'get' the American idea of identifying with where your family came from, but for at least part of my heritage, it makes sense to me. I mean, my mom's family is from Scotland, and I have relatives still living in Glasgow, whom I've met. I plan to pass along the family name to my first born when/if that happens. But their history of being Scottish also influences me and my life because, again, religion. My mom was raised Episcopalian, like her family, and only converted to Judaism during University/Nursing school. so I grew up with the Christian side of things as well, some of the traditions of which pulled from the Scottish family heritage.
So no, I'm not Scottish-American, nor am I Russian (technically Ukrainian)-American. But, both of those bits of my family tree have influence on me.
My children will be raised as Kiwis (god willing), who have an American Mum and a Taiwanese Dad and they'll know of their family tree and traditions, but they'll be Kiwis.
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The city had twice the normal monthly rainfall in a 24 hour period. I'm convinced the majority of it fell in my suburb.
A number of suburbs around the city were affected. The usual suspects; river plains, coastal areas, lowlands. And for some reason, the hill valley I live in.
Yesterday I had 4 inches of water in my backyard just from how much rain was falling out of the sky trying to get around the side of my house. And I'm up on the hill. Down in the dip, people were being swept over in waist deep water.
Just ... wow.
Here's the fair work ombudsman (info taken from the Paid Parental Leave Act 2010):
http://www.fairwork.gov.au/leave/maternity-and-parental-leave/paid-parental-leave
Employees collecting the government scheme and an arranged payment from their employees is explicitly stated in the government act to be the intention. It's not an unintended consequence or a trick or a scam, it's the written intentions of the law.
The Abbott government is changing this to be the opposite of your take. Instead of the Employee schemes supplementing the government schemes, the Abbott government idea is that the government scheme is taken from being a broadly available base that employers can build on to merely a supplemental payment to top off employer's schemes in cases where they are less than $11,500 (18 weeks of minimum wage). The government schemes take any less than that up to that level. It's completely contrary to the spirit and intention of the original PPL and an olympic gold medal worthy backflip to their original PPL policy.
It's all complete fucking nonsense.
meh.
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But the big question is 'why?' Just, what is even the point?
There are more than a few decent designs floating around out there in the wild. However, having vague memories of the Australian National Anthem referendum and the outcome there, I retain a healthy dose of scepticism towards the potential final result.
But, I also really like these two designs as well:
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Top one is good. Bottom one could work also.
I do kind of want something with the red white and blue, but also some black.
But then, I've only lived here for five years and only just got my residency approved (did I tell you guys that?).
so what i see as a cool new flag is probably going to be different from what others think.
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I like kids' designs because they're crazy but they make sense. Like, why wouldn't you have a picture of your house (home) on your flag? Also, they're going to be the ones who have to look at the new flag the longest, so they should get a say.
I quite like the union jack flag with the southern cross, although the time for it has long gone.
I don't know why they have used so much black, blue and green. I don't think those colours work, but they probably were just making do while one student hogged the red pen.
Black is likely a carryover from Sports and the silver fern flag, the blue is a common thread because as an island nation NZ is surrounded on all sides by blue above and below, stretching forever into the horizon. Green because my goodness what a beautiful and lush country...
Blue is the ocean, green is the forest, and black is the people?
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Because colonization is a pretty shit memory for plenty of people. And while it does acknowledge how some colonies have gotten to where they are, it's a bit shit that some people look at it and remember (or still are) being treated like non-people.
Which for some reason is a real sticking point for me.
Satans..... hints.....
Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better
bit.ly/2XQM1ke
To be fair, I think that is true of pretty much every single culture on earth
Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better
bit.ly/2XQM1ke
I am likely completely mis-remembering this, but I thought part of your heritage is Aboriginal?
Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better
bit.ly/2XQM1ke
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Interesting, thanks! It seems weird that "Australian identity" is a thing then.
Tribalism is pretty much everywhere. It just makes slightly less sense here
We're SUCH a young country (1901 is the year we were federated), it's like we have some sort of inferiority complex and desperately want to prove how cool we are. Unfortunately it seems that the majority of the people doing all the yelling about our "culture" are homophobic, xenophobic, classist arseholes.
There is a certain Australian-ness to having all your mates over on a Saturday and firing up the barbecue, but then that's a popular past-time in HEAPS of countries. One thing I like to do if I am living in a house with a verandah and tin roof is sit outside under the verandah drinking hot chocolate during a rainstorm. I dunno for sure if that is a particularly Australian thing to do either, as my British father introduced me to it when I was a wee young lad.
I don't know most of my family history back before the early 20th century. I don't know when most of my ancestors arrived here, I don't know where most of them were from except what we can guess from surnames, and I don't have any real connection to any other country except Australia. What other identity would I have?
Like most 'frontier' colonies, a strong sense of community and cohesion was crucial in the early years of settlement, and the 19th century is usually considered to be the time when a national identity was really forged, although in many ways it's still on-going. It's a complex topic and there's a lot of back and forth. From the 70s/80s onwards the left has pulled towards an Australia defined by a multi-cultural mix of ethnicities and traditions, while the (non-loony) right has usually yearned to be considered part of mother England. But that's an argument of definition (with the associated cultural baggage); from a personal perspective everyone I know who was born in Aus - and many who weren't - consider themselves Australian first and foremost, although what this means to them personally no doubt differs.
I think Australian nationalism is pretty bonkers - most nationalism is mental, but from a nation of immigrants it's complete nonsense. I distinguish nationalism from identification, though. I identify as Australian because that is my homeland and I don't know how else to categorize myself geographically or culturally.
I dunno, I feel it's just more (and I'm taking about the non racist sector here) that a lot of people here are just comfortable to just be Australian, where as in America they are often *somewhere*-American. I mean knowing my surname and knowing my dad is from new Zealand I still am just happy to be Australian. There is a lot less emphasis on family tree here, which has its advantages and disadvantages.
Satans..... hints.....
What do you consider yourself, then.
edit: in Europe I find it more toxic, because the very lack of immigration means national identity becomes tied to weird notions of racial purity, or at least trying to determine who has the right to call themselves 'from' country X, which can rapidly become xenophobic and horrible. I have friends who are three generations German who are not considered German by anyone around them, because they have a Turkish background.
That's a good question; I don't know, really. I'm an American citizen, but like Blake said, if people identify as anything here, it's by their ancestry. My family comes from a random mix of European countries, so I don't have a strong attachment to any one of those.
Is there a perception of an American identity?
I'd say it's considered weird here the way Americans cling to an old-world notion of their background even if they're several generations removed from having lived anywhere else. But it never occurred to me that you guys simply didn't consider 'American' to be part of your identity, which explains a lot!
Like "my great-great-great-grandfather was Irish, so I'm Irish!" - nah not really buddy, you're born and bred Texan. Or Pennsylvania Dutch, that was hundreds of years ago, you're about as Dutch as an Afrikaner, which is to say not very fucking Dutch at all.
I get that most people don't 'get' the American idea of identifying with where your family came from, but for at least part of my heritage, it makes sense to me. I mean, my mom's family is from Scotland, and I have relatives still living in Glasgow, whom I've met. I plan to pass along the family name to my first born when/if that happens. But their history of being Scottish also influences me and my life because, again, religion. My mom was raised Episcopalian, like her family, and only converted to Judaism during University/Nursing school. so I grew up with the Christian side of things as well, some of the traditions of which pulled from the Scottish family heritage.
So no, I'm not Scottish-American, nor am I Russian (technically Ukrainian)-American. But, both of those bits of my family tree have influence on me.
My children will be raised as Kiwis (god willing), who have an American Mum and a Taiwanese Dad and they'll know of their family tree and traditions, but they'll be Kiwis.
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